Fabric spreading device



March 11, 1941. A. P. BALL FABRIC SPREADING DEVICE Original Filed Oct. 23, 1935 INVENTOR 00 Q o o BY filial! 7'? 54!].

A TTORNE 2f.

Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES FABRIC SPREADING DEVICE Albert P. Ball, Detroit, Mich-., assignor to Briggs Manufacturing Company, 'Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Original application October 23, 1935, Serlal'No. I q

46,310. Divided and this application October 30, 1937, Serial N0. 171,847

2 Claims. (01.26-63) of relatively stifi but flexible material, such as fiber or cardboard, and facing strips of cloth fabric which form the exposedinterior trimoi the automobile body.

The present application is a v division of my copending applicationSerialNo. 46,310, filed Oc- I tober 23,1935. v v

An object of the invention is to provide an tinuous manner whereby substantiai savings in direct labor costs, equipment and other :man-

ufacturing costs'are obtained and wherebythe time required to perform the various operations on the panel blanks is materiallyreduced. 1

A further object of the. invention is to-proautomobile bodies .in" which a foundation or backing strip vand. a fabric striplare. cemented together and pattern portions are formed in 'the composite strip by rollers, andiin which the edges of the combined stripsmay-be trimmed and panels cut from the strip substantially at-thesame time while the strip travelsicontinuously through c the machine.

A further objector an apparatus'for'producing pa'nelsof laminated or composite fo'rmation in which 'a' plurality of separate strips ofmaterial are cemented together 40 or'otherwise permanentlyunited;in-"which pab tern or design 'portionsare pressed i nto the composite strip and in which the strip is trimmed N V M N w vproduction:iolf'itwo-ply composit trim' pa'n'els as il't 'mayf be equallyk*adaptd for the: productioii of and cut into a succession- 0f :similar panels: during the continuous travel of the strip thiough'the machine. a 1:11am;

Another object of-the present inventionris to provide an apparatus or machine of the foregoing character havingmeansor a devicefor spreading, pulling or stretching the cloth fabric of the panel to render it smooth and unwrinkled prior to its engagement with the embossingor forming mechanism of zthe machine. 5 f l 1 Another object is.to provide'-a machine or ap- 65 fabric outwardly 'or laterally lncppositedirectrim panels which are ordinarily of composite formation and usually comprise backing strips l of apparatus ,v n apparatus for producing these'panels in a con- 1 limited f -in its" application td-"the det'ails o 'struc'tion andarran'gemen "the accomp'anyirig drawin'g, vide an apparatus for making trim panelsifor the'invention is to provide compositei trim pahelsmfor automobile bodies,

' whieh panels-tin" this iinstarice laminated structurewcomprisizig of-example; one form of trimpan'el n wmch mw tions with respect to" its path 'ofmovement through the machine; prior to its being engaged by the embossing or design forming rollers of the machine.

Other'objectsoi this invention will appear in' the-followlng description' and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part -'of this specification *wherein like reference charactersuesignate *corre sponcling parts in the several views. 1 1

Fig.4 is aside elevation, "partly in -section and partly diagrammatic, illustrating one iorm for carrying out the present invenon; Y e' H ra 1,:-,;L 3

Fi .2 is a Plan view oi the structure" ho'wn' in Fig; 1. Fig; 3 is a verticalfsection talten*thro'gh "line 3'3-of Fig. 2 in'the"d irection of' the' Fig; 4 is a section' taken through -lin Fig. 2 inthe direction-of the arrows Before" explainingin detail the pres tion is to-be understood t-hat' the invention and it is not purpose-Lot producing?- in a'icontinu'ous am nner r, is not ally the trim-"panel is com'posed of:

backingmateriah-such 'as cardboard'io ply boai'd, but as a l result'fiof athe: presentmiriventid I m'ay "employ avstrip-adf' fine wireiemeslinsas a" for the cloth. or 'fabricg' and :when usin wire" '"meshwl: prefer-to applyiaibacking or"=bottom'- 'covering-striptoithe'nwire meshwhich'ma y oi'pap'er;:v 11 Y Y paratus with means for pulling-or stretching the king is illustrate Us illustrated in be produced in the apparatus. In this instance the panel comprises a foundation or backing portion A to which is cemented a top fabric portion B. The composite panel is pressedto provide a suitable pattern such as the embossed por-' tion C and pierced openings D and E. 1

Referring to the apparatus, the backing strip A is carried in coiled form on a supply roll 9 supported for rotation on suitable uprights Ill. The strip A passes between a pair of guide and straightening rollers underneath the nozzle |2a of a tank or container l2 which may contain, as in the present instance, a supply of liquid cement. The mouth of the nozzle |2a is flattened to provide a narrow transverse orifice projecting the full width of the strip A so as to coat the entire surface with cement during the travel of the strip. Thence, the strip passes between a pair'of spreader rollers |3 for spreading the ocment on the strip in an even and uniform manner. The strip isthen fed beneath a fan l4 located within an open mouth. casing [5. This fan is driven by a suitablemotor Ma and operates to direct an air stream against the cemented face of the strip and partially dry the cement so that it will have the proper tacky consistency. Other suitable drying means may be utilized in place of the fan if desired.

The facing strip B is wound and carried on a supply roller I6, the pivots l1 of which are supported in bearingsat the upper ends of a pair of pedestals I8. Resistance is provided to the pull-ofi of the strip from the roll by means of friction blocks I9 engaging the pivots I1 under the pressureof springs 20.

The superimposed strips are guided into superimposed relation and caused to passbetween a pair of presser rollers 29 and 30 which function to press the strips together and effect a permanent bond by virtue of the cement or adhesive material between the strips. The lower presser roller 30 is preferably journaled in fixed bearings in a pair of laterally spaced uprights 23.

The upper presser roller 29 is preferably journaled in a pair of slide blocks 3| which are adjustable in vertical ways intheuprights 23 and are carried by a pair of screw shafts 32 threaded through tapped holes in the cross heads 23a. The shafts are rotated to adjust the presser roller 29 by means of hand wheels 33. 3| are adjustable against the action of compression springs 34 and by virtue of the adjusting means for the roller 29 it will be seen that the presser rollers may be properly positioned to accommodate any thickness of the laminated strip.

The united strips 'A and Bare guided from I the presser rolls 29 and 39 between a pair of atedby means of hand wheels 21.

stretcher rollers 2| and 22. The lower roller 22 rotates in fixed bearings in a pair of spaced uprights 31. The upper roller 2| is journaled in a pair of slide blocks 24 which slide in vertical ways, as shown, in the uprights 31. The slide blocks 24 are carried at the lower ends of a pair of screw threaded shafts 25 which extend through tapped holes in the cross heads 26 and are oper- The slide blocks 24 preferably work against compression springs 29 interposed between the blocks and the bottoms of the guideways. The upper stretcher roller 2|, as shown, is provided at opposite ends with reverse spiral threads 2|a. by means of which the side edges of the fabric B are pulled laterally so as to stretchthe fabric and render it smooth and unwrinkled before the strips are fed between the forming rollers. Since the roller -by means of hand wheels 46.

The blocks- 2| may be adjusted vertically it will be seen that the bite of the stretcher roller on the fabric may be'properly regulated.

, From the stretcher rollers the laminated strip is then guided between a pair of forming rollers 35 and 36 carried by uprights 31 and which, in the present instance, are power driven and function as means for feeding the strips A and B through the machine. Attached to the roller 35 isa ring gear 39 which meshes with a gear 39 carried by the lower roller 36. The gear 39 is driven by a gear 40 from a shaft 4| which may be operated through suitable reduction gearing from an electric motor. The stub shafts 42 of the lower roller 36 are journaled in bearings in the uprights 31. The upper roller 35 is free to rotate on a nonrotatable cross shaft 43 the opposite ends of which are secured in guide blocks 44 slidable in vertical ways 44a in the uprights 31. These guide blocks are carried by screw shafts 45 operable The adjusting shafts 45 cooperate with the threads of tapped holes in the cross heads 31a. The slide blocks 44 are adjustable against compression springs 41 located at the bottom of the ways 44a. By virtue of the above described adjusting means the proper relative positions of the pattern forming rollers may be determined.

In the present instance the forming rollers are provided with duplicate patterns so that at each complete revolution the rollers will repeat the same pattern twice in the length of the laminated strip. Obviously the rollers may be of a size to produce a lesser or greater number of duplicate patterns, each complete pattern ordinarily being used for a single panel F.' In the present instance the upper roller 35 is provided with projecting portions 59 mating with correspondingly shaped recesses in the face of the lower roller 36 for piercing the laminated strip so as to produce the openings E in the panel. The upper roller also has opposed projecting portions 48 mating with correspondingly shaped recesses in the lower roller for piercing the strip to form the openings D. a The pattern rollers in this instance also are provided with grooves or channel portions 49 on the upper roller mating with correspondingly shaped projections or ribs on the lower roller by means of which the embossed portion C is pressed into the laminated sheet, as shown in Fig. 4.

The pattern forming rollers are also provided with means for shearing the strip transversely into the successive panels F. To this end the upper roller 35 may be provided with diametrically opposedknives 5| and the lower roller with recesses 5|a into which the knives are shifted to shear the strip. Each knife 5| is in the form of a plunger slidable in a slot in the roller 35 and carrying at its inner end a. cam roller 52 adapted to contact with a cam 53 secured to the shaft 43. The cam roller and cam are located within a recess 54 in the hub of the roller 35.

4 Hence, during the rotation of the roller 35 cam rollers 52 will successively travel into position to roller which travels in a groove in the lower roller and operates to trim ofl the portions 56 at the longitudinal edges of the strip.

Where the pattern formed in the blank includes openings pierced or punched in the strip, the slugs may be ejected in any suitable manner. In the foregoing embodiment the lower rollers 36 may be hollow, as shown, and the slugs punched from the strip pass directly into the interior of the roller. These may be discharged by directing an air blast through the roller.

It will be understood that where the laminated strip consists of more than two plies, an additional supply roller or rollers and cementing means are provided as needed, all strips being Joined together and fed continuously to the pattern for-ming rollers.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the pattern forming rollers 35 and 36 are, in the present preferred embodiment of the invention, provided with means for pressing an embossed design in the laminated strip, piercing openings therein, trimming the edges of the strip, and cut ting off the strip transversely, all of which may be accomplished simultaneously during the continuous travel of the strip through the machine.

I claim:

1. In a machine for forming laminated panels by uniting together a backing strip and a fabric strip in superimposed relation while traveling longitudinally through the machine in which the machine includes a pair of superimposed forming rollers disposed transversely of the machine in spaced relation longitudinally thereof; a fabric spreading device comprising a rotatable supporting roll having a smooth surface and a rotatable metallic spreading roll superimposed above said supporting roll and in substantially parallel relation thereto, said rolls being disposed adjacent the bite of said pair of forming rollers, and ad-- justable manually controlled means and compression springs located beyond the ends of said spreading roll proper and above the supporting roll for resiliently urging the rolls apart.

2. In a machine for forming laminated panels by uniting together a backing strip and a fabric strip in superimposed relation while traveling longitudinally through the machine in which the machine includes a pair of superimposed forming rollers disposed transversely of the machine in spaced relation longitudinally thereof; a fabric spreading device comprising a rotatable supporting roll having a smooth surface and a rotatable metallic spreading roll superimposed above said supporting roll and in substantially parallel relation thereto, said rolls being disposedadjacent the bite of said pair of forming rollers, and adjustable manually controlled means and compression springs located beyond the ends of said spreading roll proper and above the supporting roll for resiliently urging the rolls apart, said spreading roll having helically threaded portions locatedadjacent its opposite ends and engage- ALBERT P. BALL. 

